Rotary adhesive roll fabric cleaning device



Jan. 6, 1 953 T. R. M KENZIE ROTARY ADHESIVE ROLL FABRIC CLEANING DEVICE Filed May 17, 1946 FIG. 1

F G. Z

5'{ ADHESIVE SURFACE OF TAPE ROLL INVENTOR THOMAS R MCKENZIE 6525 14 a! ATTORNEY Z0 ADHESIVE COATING FIG. 4

WAXY COAT/N0 PAPER 0R CLOTH TAPE Patented Jan. 6, 1953 "UNITED :S'TA'TES PATENT OFFICE "ROTARY ADHESIVE .aoL TEA-BRIG .CLEAN-ING DEVICE x-Th'omas Rh Mc'Kenzie, Milwaukee-, 'Wis.

ApplicationMay [17, 1946, .Serial -No.. 670,486

1- Claim.

The present invention relates to fabric cleaning devices, and has for an object to provide a simple but eifective device with an adhesive surface for removing lint, threads, hair, dandruff, dust and other loose foreign matter from clothing and other fabrics.

Another object is to provide a cleaning device in which the adhesive surf-ace can be readily renewed.

A further object is to provide a cleaning device which is convenient to use and which can be inexpensively manufactured.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating certain embodiments of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side view of one form of fabric cleaning device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top view of the device;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of an adhesive tape for the device;

Fig. 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but showing a modified form of device, and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another modification.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, l0 designates a handle or support formed by a length of wire looped to form a hand-grip I l and including a pair of laterally spaced arcuate shield or guard portions I2 and parallel terminal arms l3 with aligned inturned pivot-forming tips l4.

A rotatable cylindrical drum or roller l5, such as of sheet metal or hardened plastic material, has crowned end walls IS with aligned central openings l'l detachably receiving the pivot tips H of the handle, the openings being surrounded by respective embossments I8. The handle II], or at least the arms l3 thereof, are sufficiently resilient to permit the pivot tips 14 to be applied to or removed from the drum.

A length of adhesive tape l9, similar to drafting tape or masking tape, is wound on the drum with the tacky side 20 out to form a number of convolutions, the inner end of the tape being suitably anchored on the drum, as by cementing. The tape body is formed of paper, cloth, or other suitable sheeting, and the face thereof opposite the tacky face may have a waxy coating 2|. Fig. 4, or be otherwise treated to facilitate unwinding. A slit 22 is cut through the roll of tape to facilitate removal of successive convolutions when 2 they become spentan'd preferably extends at an angle to the drum radius and also on a bias across the drum so as to permit easy peeling of the tape. The arched or arcuate guard portions l2 of the handle extend circumferentially over the tape roll for a portion of the periphery of the roll and concentrically thereof so as to permit the device to be set down, or hung by its handle, without adhering to an adjacent surface, and also to minimize accidental contact with the tape.

In use, the device is held in the hand and is rolled lightly over clothing or other fabrics to be cleaned. In the passage of the roller the exposed tacky surface of the tape picks up any lint, threads, hair, dandrufi, dust and other loose foreign matter from the fabric and leaves the fabric surface in a clean and presentable condition. Usually a single pass of the roller over a given area is sufficient, and the tacky tape will not injure the fabric surface. The detached foreign matter is held on the tape, thus avoiding settling of this foreign matter on floors or other surfaces, or dispersal in the surrounding air. After a considerable period of use, the outermost tape convolution may be peeled off and discarded, thus exposing a fresh tacky surface. The slit 22 facilitates the peeling operation and avoids removal of excess tape. If desired, when the device is not in use, a piece of waxed paper or cloth, not shown, may be wrapped about the roll of tape. When the tape-carrying roller is exhausted, it can be readily replaced by a fresh roller at low cost.

While the device is particularly useful in cleaning clothing while in place on a wearer, it may also be used for cleaning other fabrics, including rugs, carpets, and upholstery.

In the modified form of device shown in Fig. 5, the roller comprises a roll of tape I9 wound on a cardboard tube 35 the ends of which are detach- :ably carried by flanged end caps 36 (one being shown) rotatably carried on aligned inturned pivot tips 34 of arms 33 of a wire handle 30. Each cap has a central pivot opening 3'! receiving the associated tip 34 and is suitably secured to the tip as by axially spaced flanges or beads 38 and 39 on the tip. The device of Fig. 5 is otherwise the same as that of Fig. 1 and is used in the same manner.

In the modified form of device shown in Fig. 6,

the roller IS with its tape roll [9 is detachably secured to a handle 40 which may be formed of sheet metal or hardened plastic material. The handle comprises a tubular or trough-shaped hand-grip 4| and an arched or arcuate guard or shield 42 which extends partially about the roller 'in a circumferential direction and has resilient parallel side arms 43 with short aligned pivot pins 44 which enter the roller end openings, like the pivot tips 14 of Fig. 3. The handle has an opening 45 by which the device may be hung. The device of Fig. 6 is otherwise similar in construction to the device of Fig. 1 and is used in the same manner.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A fabric cleaning device comprising a roller having an exposed tacky face, a length of wire looped on itself to form a hand-grip and a pair of arched guard portions extending circumferentially over the tacky face of said roller for a portion of the periphery of said roller, said wire further having a pair of terminal arms extending from said guard portions and provided with aligned pivot portions engaged with said roller.

THOMAS R. MoKENZIE.

4 REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 342,781 Cook June 1, 1886 488,562 Holden Dec. 27, 1892 745,612 Hoberg Dec. 1, 1903 1,861,179 Gray May 31, 1932 1,995,685 Perkins Mar. 26, 1935 2,170,147 Lane Aug. 22, 1939 2,248,317 Van Cleef July 8, 1941 2,269,939 Janisch Jan. 13, 1942 2,394,585 Bailey Feb. 12, 1946 2,401,842 Slater June 11, 1946 2,423,962 Clark July 15, 1947 2,459,392 Power Jan. 18, 1949 

